01-16-2020 Tri-City Area Sports

Coloma Press Box By Dave Vollrath

Coloma boys basketball returns from break, winning 2 out of 3

The Coloma varsity boys basketball team returned to the hard court for their first action of the 2020 year, by facing Paw Paw at home, on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Redskins boasted two players that were listed 6 foot nine, and 6 foot 10, and several more entering at 6 foot 3 each. A much taller squad than what the Comets are putting on the court these days, but size didn’t matter in this game.

Coloma with their run and shoot style, wore their opponents down and ran away in the 4th quarter with a 70-53 win. The Comets counter acted their taller visitors by hitting from long range by making ten 3-pointers in the contest. Coloma has hit double digit 3-pointers in a majority of their games so far on the young season, and it’s making them much more effective against their taller opponents.

The Comets jumped out to an early 15-9 at the end of the 1st quarter, but the Redskins whittled that lead down and tied the Comets at 23 with a little over three minutes left in the half. Coloma scored the next seven points to lead 30-23, but Paw Paw again ran off seven straight points in the final minute to tie the game at 30 going into the locker rooms.

The third quarter found the Comets slowly building their lead up near double digits. Paw Paw was still in the game trailing by eight when the Redskins head coach drew a technical foul while his team had the ball. After a couple of freebies, and a made three on the ensuing possession gave the Comets a 13-point lead. The Comets just continued to build on that lead the rest of the way.

Drew Goodline continues to lead the Comet’s scoring attack as he poured in 18 points and nailed four 3-pointers. Michael Dancer and Isaiah Reinhardt each had 10 points, with Isaiah hitting on two from beyond the arc. Karon Smith also had 10 points including two treys. In all Coloma had 10 players who scored in the game, and Jake Ickes and Brandon Jacobs had the other two 3- pointers.

Coloma 86, Saugatuck 53

The Comet boys were at home again on Friday night, Dec. 10, and continued to light up the nets with their shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. They knocked down a season high 13 three pointers. The Comets jumped on the visiting Indians by doubling down with a 16-8 first quarter lead, and then never really let them back in the game.

Coloma continued the onslaught by leading 39-22 going into the lockers at halftime. Coloma clearly out shot and out hustled Saugatuck for the entire night, as most everyone got in on the scoring. Twelve players scored, and Coach Curtis McFall was able to utilize his bench liberally, and most starters sat for the majority of the 4th quarter.

The dynamic Comet guard duo of Drew Goodline and Jake Ickes led the Comet scoring attack, with Drew finishing the night with 20 points including three from long range. Jake followed right behind with 19, as he hit five from behind the 3-point arc. Brandon Jacobs scored nine points, all from 3-point land, while Isaiah Reinhardt and Amir Hall each added a 3-pointer. Michael Dancer again scored in double figures netting 10 points, and Amir Hall finished with seven off the bench, all in the 4th quarter.

Coloma loses at Brandywine

The Comet boys traveled to Brandywine on Saturday to face the Bobcats for their third game in five nights, and looked good through the first half in leading 33-26. The shots weren’t falling in the second half however, as their legs may have been a little weary. That’s what usually happens when fatigue sets in, as Brandywine, who came into the game undefeated at 5-0, outscored the Comets 18-2 in the third quarter.

Coloma could not get their momentum back, and wound up on the wrong end of a 67-53 score. Coloma did hit six 3-pointers, with two from Goodline, two from Dancer and one each from Ickes and Smith. Leading the Comet scorers again was Drew Goodline with 14 points, followed by 12 from Shawn Dryer, and 10 from Michael Dancer. The Comets are now 4-3 on the season, and travel to Gobles for a Friday, Jan. 17 meeting.

Comet lady hoopsters start the New Year on 2-game winning streak

The Lady Comets, who finished December winless, started the New Year feeling a whole lot better about themselves as they first traveled to Bridgman on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and came away with a very lopsided 46-16 victory.

The Comets jumped on Bridgman after the Bees scored the first two points of the game, and then didn’t score for the rest of the half, as the Comets led 29-2 at halftime. The Bees actually outscored Coloma 7-5 in the 3rd quarter, but never really had any hope in this game after the first half. Three Comet seniors led the scoring as the Megans, Neubecker and Koenigshof, had 12 and 11 points respectively, and Vanessa Crisenbery, the human pinball, chipped in with 10 points. Neubecker also pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked five shots, and Koenigshof had six rebounds and seven steals. Adian Allman also had a nice night scoring nine points in the contest. Crisenbery and Allman each had a pair of three pointers to their credit.

On Friday night the lady Comets were again successful, and facing a bigger and more physical team continued their fine play, as they edged out Saugatuck 41-29. Vanessa Crisenbery had a career high 15 points, and Megan Koenigshof matched her with 15 of her own.

Crisenbery was impressive knocking down a couple of 3-pointers and then used that success to draw the defense out, as she drove to the bucket and made a couple of nice tear drop shots over much taller defenders. Koenigshof who was able to break the Saugatuck press over and over again, was fouled frequently, and finished with 13-17 from the charity stripe. She helped the Comets the most with her overall floor play, and getting the ball into the hands of her open team mates. The Comets also had their best defensive effort of the season, in holding down and frustrating the Saugatuck team.

The Comet ladies also hit the road on Friday to face a tough squad from Gobles.

Coloma wrestling team struggles, several individuals having a fine year

The Coloma wrestlers traveled to Lawton on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and fell to the Devils by a score of 51-19. Winners for the Comets were Cole Alsup (heavyweight) by pin; Delray Williams (103) by decision, 13-6; Caeleb Ishmael pinned his 112-pound opponent in 1:12; and Aaron Pounders had a major decision, 10-1 at 171 pounds.

Coloma then wrestled at Mendon on Saturday, Jan. 12, and faced competition from Paw Paw, St. Joe, Edwardsburg, Elkhart Memorial, and Battle Creek Harper Creek. Once again the team struggled for points, with their closest match a 37-27 loss to Paw Paw.

Winners for Coloma were Cole Alsup at 285 who won 4 matches all by pin; Travis Borr at 215, won 3 by pin; Mason Current at 125 had 2 wins, including a pin; Ian Ishmael at 152 had a pin in his two wins; and Caeleb Ishmael had wins by pin, and one by major decision.

Watervliet Press Box by John Oliphant

Panther wrestlers take second

The Panther wrestling team traveled to Lawton for a pair of dual meets on Wednesday, Jan. 8, where they took on the Galesburg Augusta Rams and the host Blue Devils of Lawton.

The Panthers are loaded with wrestlers this year and typically walk into conference meets with the advantage of filling all but one or two of the 14 weight classes. The injury bug first nicked the team when sophomore Annabel Farlow’s solid season was cut short when she broke her collarbone during a match in South Haven a few weeks ago. She says she’ll be ready to go for track season and that she’ll be back on the mat next year. Nathan Isbrecht is nursing an upper leg injury and was also unavailable as he lets that heal properly. He plans to be ready to go this weekend. Don Smith III was the third missing piece with a shoulder injury that shouldn’t keep him out of action for long.

Add one ineligible wrestler and the first match against the Rams became much closer than it should have been. Jimmy Kolosowsky started off the match with a pin at 0:32 and Trever Pelton took just a little longer at 0:52. The Panthers gave up a void at 119 then Dominick Morrison wrestled well but couldn’t keep the advantage in a 5-10 loss. Alex Isbrecht pinned his opponent at 0:27, then Isaiah Yazel pinned his at 0:58. The teams exchanged a couple voids and the Panthers came out on top 42-33.

In the second match the Blue Devils were loaded with wrestlers, covering 13 weights. Trever Pelton got a pin at 1:58, Alex Isbrecht got a 7-4 decision for his 96th career win. Evan Orlando wrestled well and had the advantage briefly, but ended up taking a tough loss against a good wrestler. Isaiah Yazel got his second sub-minute pin of the day, this one coming at 0:37.

The young big guys finished strong as Parker Lanning, showing a bunch of confidence in his second season, got a pin at 1:56. Closing out the evening freshman Royce Daugherty had an energetic battle, out-muscling his opponent to get the pin at 1:09.

The Panthers lost 48-40 in a match that may have gone the other way with a couple more filled weights. They are now 2-1 in the SAC with a good chance to finish near the top of the conference standings.

On the season Trever Pelton leads the team at 20-2, Alex Isbrecht is 18-4, Isaiah Yazel is at 14-4, Don Smith is 11-1, and Jimmy Kolosowsky is at 15-5. Their weekly Saturday meet was cancelled due to the weather forecast, along with virtually every other meet in the state. On Saturday, Jan. 18 they will be at Marcellus.

Annual Trent McKinney Memorial Meet on January 22

As a reminder, the last home wrestling meet of the season is on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The team is in the middle of a great season and this is the fans’ last chance to see them in person. They will also be honoring two seniors, Alex Isbrecht and Trever Pelton, who will both graduate with more than 100 wins.

Tough week in hoops

On Thursday, Jan. 9 the Lady Panthers hosted New Buffalo, losing 43-39. They struggled to score in the first quarter, falling behind 16-6. They roared back to outscore the Bison 20-8 in the second quarter, taking a 26-24 lead into halftime. The tables turned in the third as the Bison jumped ahead 38-31. The Panthers closed the gap, but were doomed by a 5-for-18 performance from the free throw line.

BACKBOARD… and freshman Sam Dietz is not afraid to use in last Thursday’s home game against New Buffalo. The Panthers came up short in the contest even with Sam leading with 22 points for her team. (TCR photo by Amy Loshbough)

Samantha Dietz led all scorers with 22 points. Adriyanna Winters scored eight, Alex Worley scored three, and Myah Hobson, Madison Flowers, and Serena Reyna each chipped in two. Dietz and Addison Riley led the charge on the boards.

On Friday night the Girls took one on the chin, losing to Martin 67-28.

The boys made the long road trip to Martin on Friday, coming away with a 51-43 loss. The Clippers played a very fast game, forcing the Panthers to pull their big guys in an attempt to keep up with their speed game. Coach Dan Hoff said they competed hard, but their shooters created challenges the Panthers could not solve.

Both teams head to Saugatuck on Friday night, Jan. 17. Next week they both play at Lake Michigan Catholic, the boys on Monday and the girls on Tuesday.

Press Box Player of the Week!

By John Oliphant

Tri-City Record Press Box Player of the Week is Dylan Lawson. Dylan is a junior on the Watervliet Panther varsity basketball team, playing center and constantly fighting for position with the big guys under the basket.

He is in his second year as a starter on the varsity basketball team and looking stronger and more confident this season. In a recent game against Gobles he started the game strong, drawing two early fouls and eventually forcing his dominant opponent to the bench for most of the game.

Dylan gives credit for his team’s improved play to Coach Dan Hoff. “Coach Hoff is an extraordinary man and I’m proud to say he is our coach. In the short time I have known him I can easily say he is one of the best coaches I’ve ever known. I can definitely see us improving every game and growing as a team every day. This is by far one of the best groups I’ve ever been a part of.”

Lawson is also one of the guys who rarely came off the field during the football season as a starter on the offensive and defensive lines. He’s a fast, big player who will be a dominant defensive end next season. In a couple months he can be found on the baseball field where he’ll return for his second varsity season.

Dylan is a big college basketball fan, always cheering for the Wolverines. He hopes to play football in college after graduation.

Congratulations, Dylan!

Hartford Prress Box By Jerrod Birmele

Hartford boys basketball sweeps week with two double digit routs

Last week, the Hartford Indian boys basketball team returned from winter break by playing two conference contests. The Indian men showed glimpses in their first three games of the season of the talent to be a solid team. They just needed to play all 32 minutes to earn victories.

In their home game on Tuesday, Jan. 7 versus Bangor, the Indians were victorious in a game they led pretty much from start-to-finish, as they defeated the Vikings, 70-52. Hartford led 12-9 after the first quarter, and pulled out to a 39-21 halftime lead, courtesy of a 27-12 scoring advantage in the second quarter, bolstered by a 19-0 scoring run in the stanza. The Indians extended their lead to 55-33 after three, thanks to a 16-12 scoring advantage in the third quarter. Bangor would take the fourth quarter, by outscoring Hartford, 19-15, but the game was already well in hand, with the good guys taking home the victory.

CHEERING TO VICTORY… The Hartford Competitive Cheerleading team was victorious Saturday, Jan. 11, earning 1st place honors in Divi-sion 4 at the Blue Devil Invitational at Richland Gull Lake. The team earned 600.9 total points, winning top honors by a mere eight tenths of a point. (Photo courtesy of A&A Sports Pho-tography)

The Indians had nine players score in the game, three of whom were in double figures. Aaron Sinclair led Hartford with 25 points, while Tanner Kinchen and Elijah Ledesma were the other two players in double figures, scoring 12 points each. Other players that scored for the Indians were Elijah Rodarte (6 points), Kaden Johnson (5 points), Dylan Voss (4 points), and Ricky Baker, Sergio Canseco and Darius Webb (2 points each). Hartford finished the night making 25 two-point baskets, five three-point baskets, and was 5-for-6 from the charity stripe.

In their game on Friday, Jan. 10 at Mendon, the Indians were victorious in a game that was closer than the scoreboard indicated at the final buzzer. They defeated the Hornets, 47-28. The host team jumped on top after the first quarter, as Mendon led, 8-7, after the opening stanza. The game was defined by the second quarter, which the Indians dominated by a 21-4 scoring margin, with Hartford taking a 28-12 lead into halftime.

The game was much closer in the final two quarters, with the Indians outscoring Mendon, 6-3, in the third stanza, and the two teams battling to a 13-13 draw in the fourth.

The Indians had eight players score in the game, with two players scoring in double figures. For the fifth straight contest, Aaron Sinclair led Hartford with a game-high 21 points, while Elijah Rodarte was the other player in double figures with 12 points. Other players that scored for the Indians were Dylan Voss (4 points), Elijah Smith (3 points), Tanner Kinchen, Nick Pultz and Darius Webb (2 points each) and Ricky Baker (1 point).

Hartford is currently 3-2 on the season, and 3-1 in Southwest 10 Conference action. The men will play two conference games this week, both inside the friendly confines of Indian Gymnasium. They played Marcellus on Tuesday, Jan. 14, before they host Decatur on Friday, Jan. 17.

Hartford girls basketball moves to 5-2 with two more victories

Last week, the Hartford Lady Indian basketball team also returned from their winter hiatus as they played in two Southwest 10 Conference contests. They had not been in action since Dec. 17, and came in to the New Year with two losses, both of which came against two of the top teams in the league. With a new coach and having to learn a whole new system on the fly, their start was deemed a success.

In their game on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at Bangor, the Lady Indians were victorious, defeating the host Lady Vikings, 33-17. Hartford led Bangor by one, 5-4, after the first quarter, and built their lead to three, 11-8, at halftime. The third quarter saw Hartford outscore Bangor, 8-4, to take a seven point lead, 19-12, into the final eight minutes. The Lady Indians pulled away for good in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lady Vikings, 14-5, to put the game out of reach.

Five players scored for Hartford, with one player scoring in double digits. Megan Nelson led Hartford with a game-high 11 points, while Jaelyne Galvan tossed in nine points. Other players that scored for the Lady Indians were Nautica Covington (5 points), and Vanessa De La Rosa and Alexis Snodgrass (4 points each). Hartford finished the night making seven two-point baskets, five three-point baskets, and shot 4-for-6 from the free throw line.

In their game on Friday, Jan. 10 at Mendon, the Lady Indians were once again victorious, winning a thriller in overtime over the host Lady Hornets, 42-38. The game was close throughout, with the teams separated by six or less points after every period. The first quarter was a draw, as both teams managed just four points each. Hartford took a 13-7 lead into halftime, thanks to a 9-3 scoring advantage in the second quarter. The third quarter ended with Hartford maintaining a six point lead, 25-19, after both teams managed a 12-spot in the frame. Mendon battled back in the fourth to force overtime, evening the game at 33, thanks to a 14-8 scoring advantage. But, in overtime, Hartford won the battle by outscoring the Lady Hornets, 9-5, to come out victorious.

Eight players scored for Hartford, and for the second straight game, one player finished in double figures. Megan Nelson was the leading scorer once again for the Lady Indians, scoring 12 points. Khashya McCoy tossed in eight points. Other players that scored for the Lady Indians were Alexis Snodgrass and Vanessa De La Rosa (6 points each), Jaelyne Galvan and Nautica Covington (3 points each) and Gillian Kuehnle and Karly Manning (2 points each).

Hartford is currently 5-2 on the season (4-2 if you do not count the Eau Claire forfeit), and 4-2 in Southwest 10 Conference play (3-2 if you do not count the Eau Claire forfeit). Like their male counterparts, the ladies will play two conference games this week, but will also play one non-conference game. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, they will have traveled to Marcellus, before returning home for the first time in nearly a month for back-to-back home games, hosting Watervliet on Thursday, Jan. 16 and Decatur on Friday, Jan. 17.

Hartford Competitive Cheer takes crown in Division 4 at Gull Lake

Last week, the Hartford Indian Competitive Cheerleading team took to the mats for the first time in competition, as they competed in a conference jamboree and a weekend invitational during their first taste of action. This season will be a bit of a work in progress for the ladies. During the offseason, there was a sudden coaching change, and with it, will come growing pains. However, this group of ladies is talented, and they expect to be peaking as the season goes on.

In their first SMCCC Jamboree of the year, held at Gobles on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Hartford finished in sixth place out of nine teams, finishing with a total score of 527.84 points. The team finished round one with a total of 177.7 points, which came with no penalty point deductions. The second round saw the team put together a performance worthy of a total of 157.34 points from the judges, and once again, came with no penalty point deductions. The third and final round, which is always the highest scoring round in a competition, saw the team score 224.8 points, but was reduced to 208.8 points after 16 penalty points were deducted.

In their weekend action, the Blue Devil Invitational held at Richland Gull Lake on Saturday, Jan. 11, the ladies were awarded top honors out of three teams in Division 4, winning with a total score of 600.9 points. The team finished round one with a total of 196 points, which came with no penalty point deductions. The second round saw the team put together a performance worthy of a total of 166.5 points from the judges, which also came with no penalty point deductions attached. The highest scoring round, the third and final round, saw the team score 238.4 points, and for the third straight round, came without a single point being deducted in penalties.

Hartford Wrestling gets swept in home conference quad

Last week, the Hartford Indian wrestling team returned to team competition on the mat, competing in a mid-week home conference quad, and taking part in a weekend team tournament.

In their home conference quad on Wednesday, Jan. 8, Hartford competed in conference duals against the Bangor Vikings and the Bloomingdale Cardinals. Unfortunately, the Indians were swept, losing 54-29 in their first dual to Bangor, before falling 43-30 to Bloomingdale to finish the night.

In the dual against Bangor, victorious Hartford wrestlers included Govani Perez at 171 pounds (by technical fall, 18-1), Angel Rocha at 189 pounds (by fall at 1:19), Noe Arreola at 103 pounds (by forfeit), Ernesto Rodarte at 112 pounds (by fall at :50) and Tim DuMont at 130 pounds (by fall at 2:43).

In the dual against Bloomingdale, victorious Hartford wrestlers included James Terry at 189 pounds (by fall in :29), Noe Arreola at 103 pounds (by forfeit), Ernesto Rodarte at 112 pounds (by forfeit), Jorge Liborio-Davila at 119 pounds (by forfeit) and Jose Rios at 140 pounds (by forfeit).

Results from their weekend team tournament, the Parchment Super Duals held on Saturday, Jan. 11, were not available as of press time.

Hartford is currently 1-2 in team dual competition on the season, and 0-2 in Southwest 10 Conference team dual action.

As always, GO INDIANS!

Armchair Quarterback ladies hold their ground, Rodney-Isbrecht and Summers won’t be caught

By Dave Vollrath

Rodney Lynch has his perch in the catbird seat well established, as this year’s Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback championship was decided mathematically after last week’s picks. Lynch has his third consecutive AQB championship well in hand.

However there were still a couple of spots in doubt going into the action last weekend. The weekend saw the NFL deciding who will be playing in the conference championships, and the collegiate National Champion being crowned in the Superdome, down on the bayou.

RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht had a slim 2-point lead on Tim Hildebrand for second place, and Kathy Summers had an even smaller lead of just one point over Dan Jones, for 4th place. The ladies however, bowed their necks and had one last great week in them, as they both finished the week at 4-1, and gained a game each on Tim and Dan. That was all that was needed to stretch their lead out just far enough, where their spots in the standings are now locked in.

The NFL had some great games, and it’s hard to call any games upsets this time of year when only the cream of the crop is still competing. But what the Tennessee Titans did on Saturday, by going into Baltimore and handing the Ravens their hat the way they did, was just something not many speaking seriously could have predicted. This was the one game that tripped up our whole panel of experts this week, and undoubtedly so.

The TCR, AQB competition is held weekly from the beginning of the high school football season in late summer, until it finishes with the playing of the Super Bowl in February. There are six Tri-City area football fans competing against each other, to predict the winners of a group of pre selected games from the high school, collegiate, and professional ranks. Following the conclusion of the Super Bowl, one winner is crowned champion and will have the honor of wearing the Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback Championship hat.

In the event that two or more ‘backs have the same record for the week, or the yearly total, their place in the standings will be determined by a weekly tiebreaker game. In addition to trying to correctly pick the winners of each week’s games, they predict the score from a specially selected game. The AQB that predicts the closest to the total number of points scored by both teams will get the higher spot in the standings.

The LSU Tigers are now wearing the crown as National Champions of collegiate football, as they pounded out a 42-25 win over Clemson on Monday night. LSU started slow but finished with over 500 yards of offense. Joe Burrow, the Heisman trophy winning quarterback who couldn’t get on the field at Ohio State, showed why they may have the best offense college football has ever seen.

The 67 points in that game was the tiebreaker, and as RoxAnn had predicted 70 points she gets the nod for first place for the week, over Kathy. Dan gets 3rd for the week, Tim 4th, and Rodney 5th, as they all finished at 3-2. Greg Krell once again showed it’s not as easy as it looks to pick a season’s worth of football games, and even though he had a 1-4 weekend, his love of football never wavers, nor does his sense of humor.

Readers should check back next week as the NFL crowns the conference champs and our panel of pigskin prognosticators tell who they believe will win the Super Bowl.

For this week, the AQBs have to make their choices for the following games:

Tennessee vs. Kansas City (Tiebreaker)

Green Bay vs. San Francisco